And We're Back on Track!

Just wanted to assure you that all is well with the sweater, I know you were concerned! It's even looking wavy (which is how is supposed to look) so you can all breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks for listening!

The Knitting Pattern Mystery

I can knit, not just flat, bobble, flat, bobble (ie plain, purl, plain, purl, some readers will understand that!). Cable, lace, moss stitch all these are easy for me and I can read a knitting pattern with very little recourse to the abbreviations, mostly. However, sometimes I will come up against a pattern that doesn't make sense no matter which way I look at it. This happened last night. I was happily getting on with my new project, a wavy lined sweater, rib finished and starting on the body. The pattern seemed very simple but after a couple of repeats I realised that I was gaining lots of stitches (56 more to be exact) and nowhere did it say you will gain 56 stitches after the first two repeats. Now if you're a knitter you will know that the worst thing that can happen is having to rip back your knitting, it has to be the most soul-destroying thing that can happen. It's the sort of thing that will put a halt to my enthusiasm for the project, I get very angry, pout and put the piece away until I have gotten over my pique. That is what happened last night, I ripped it back, picked up the stitches again and returned to the pattern. Now, the pattern calls for you to *(k2tog) 3 times, (k1yo) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times* repeat from * to end. The maths doesn't work (or am I missing something?), if you knit 2 together 3 times you loose three stitches and if you knit 1 yo (yarn over needle to create a loop) you gain six stitches. So... you know just writing this I have worked out! I was doing (k2tog) 3 times, (K1yo) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times and then going back to (K1yo) 6 times rather than (k2tog) 3 times! I have lost the will to live and if you have persevered with this then suffice it to say the blog has helped me see the error of my stitches! So, I'm afraid I have brought you here under false pretences, sorry about that but thanks for staying with me. Just finished a chocolate cake for a friend's birthday tomorrow, good old Rachel Allen's Bake book, she never lets me down. Hopefully it will be enjoyed by all at work tomorrow. Adieu for now.

P.S

Remember the mittens below? As I said I made them for a friend and I got the best book in return, check this out, Vintage Knitwear for the Modern Knitter. Beautifully produced throughout it has facsimles of the original patterns and up to date intstruction and wool. I have a feeling I will be choosing my next project from here.

And Now for Some Baking

Cakes, sweets, tarts, biscuits aren't they just the food of the Gods? Or is that just me? However if I was to bake without a reason, i.e. a reason to take them out of the house and out of temptation, then I would be the size of a house! Or at least a modest four bedroomed bungalow with two toilets and an en suite, you get the idea. As a result I jump at any opportunity to bake for others, whether it be a birthday for a friend or at work, a visit, a dinner party or indeed just any old spurious excuse (meeting someone for a drink, passing someone putting out the rubbish.....) and it's amazing how many of these come up. Recently I have been making a lot of sweets from the Hope and Greenwood book (have a look at their website and if you get a chance visit their shops, the one in East Dulwich is my dream place). A friend made some salted caramels recently and she shared the recipe, I made them last week. These were a case of making something that didn't have a purpose so they were in the cupboard calling to me, I gave in, a few times! Then work benefited from them, I just couldn't have them in the house. They were fun to make too, all that bubbling sugar and the possibility that it could burn if you let it go over the required 248F. That's about as close as I come to danger! The picture in my first post is some Chocolate Espresso sweets that I made as a belated Christmas present for a friend. They were supposed to a chocolate covered coffee bean on top but due to the snow I had to make do with the red candy hearts that were lurking a my cupboard. As you can see I enjoy my food and I hope to share that passion with you if you stick with me.

The History of Knitting Club

Mine weren’t so much New Year resolutions as New Year resolves. The resolve to pursue the things that I enjoy doing, explore them more, learn more about them and enhance my skills. Then bore you with the process and the outcomes! More baking, more knitting. Like most girls (or at least the ones that I know) I learned how to knit when I was young. My mother was always knitting and she taught me and I also knitted at primary school. My Granny crocheted, she was amazing, she created the most beautiful, intricate crochet (she crocheted my communion dress, giving away my catholic upbringing) and she taught me how to crochet. Years went by and every so often I had a spate of knitting, a jumper for my brother (knitted on night duty when I was doing my nursing training), a cardigan for a friend’s baby but never anything sustained. Then, about six years ago (it may be longer but I won’t admit it!) two friends expressed an interest in learning to knit, or rather to re-learn how to knit, and knitting club was born. We got through the basics and then projects were started, some were finished but mostly it became a social thing, an excuse to meet up in Liberty’s second floor café and catch up. However, I found that I really enjoyed it and found myself looking forward to the next project, learning more with each one and honing my skills. And, surprise, surprise I was good at it and friends requested jumpers and such (and even wore them!). But I found in the last two years that I had lost the drive to knit and so resolved to get back into it this year, get a body of work together, maybe some commissions and generally get my knitting mojo back. And, of course write about it! So far this year I have knitted a pair of mittens (a commission for which I am receiving a knitting book) and a beret. I have bought the wool to make this wonderful vintage short-sleeved sweater and have just cast on the stitches this morning. Not bad for week three of the new year.

The Beginning

This is all new to me, both blogging and writing about my life in this public way, so bear with me and hopefully I will get by and you may enjoy the process (I say "may", I'm not promising anything). So, where to begin? I guess with the reason for this diary. I live in London, have a good job that I like and enjoy but there is always a little voice, a very insistent voice, that whispers "is this it, is this it until I reach 66?" I'm guessing that many of you have asked the same question and especially at the beginning of a new year (or a new decade) and this blog is, for me, a way of focusing on the other things in my life, the things that work allows me to do.
As you will have worked out from the title, this will be a lot about cooking, baking in particular, and knitting (not just cardies, all sorts of garments created through the medium of wool). I want this to be a log of these things but also whatever else comes to mind, there will be books recommended, resturants visited and dances danced (more on that later).
So grab your circular needles, your favourite wool, your Kitchenaid (I wish) and keep me company on this culinary and woolinary journey.